Bird-like plane sets world record

The Chinese research team's bioengineered aircraft set a record for the longest flight time on a single charge, reaching more than 3 hours.

Homing Pigeon, a bioengineered aircraft developed by a research team at Northwestern Polytechnic University, set a Guinness World Record for the flight time of a drone flapping its wings on a single battery charge, China Daily reported on October 11 . believe. After flapping its wings and launching into the air, it flew for 3 hours, 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Bioengineering devices are devices inspired by organisms, imitating natural systems and applied to modern technology. Owl - a bioengineered aircraft also developed by Northwestern Polytechnic University - holds the old Guinness World Record with a flight time of 2 hours, 34 minutes 38 seconds, set on November 15, 2022. Compared to the Owl, the Homing Pigeon is smaller, with a wingspan less than half that of the Owl's and only 1/4 the weight, marking a major step forward in bioengineered aircraft technology.

According to PhD student Liu Liu, a member of the research and development team, Homing Pigeon's realistic appearance fools even real birds. They often fly next to the plane during test flights.

"During the flight, a bird of prey suddenly appeared in the sky. It tried to catch the plane several times. However, thanks to quick operations on the ground, we avoided capture." , Liu said. When they recovered the plane, they discovered that its head had been scratched by the claws of a bird of prey.

The plane flaps its wings to imitate the flight movements of birds and other creatures. It is very light, compact and operates quietly, making it difficult to detect. It can be launched manually and landed without landing area restrictions, thus suitable for many applications such as reconnaissance in complex environments, information gathering in emergency rescue situations and research. biological field research.